Speed-indicator for motor-cars and other vehicles.



R. M. 1200K. SPEED INDICATOR FOR MOTOR CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION I'fLED NOV. 23, 1905.

K i To; \L J 3a 1) 1) i i h x 12 as a 1 3:4 J 3 520! l l j [I I] 2 c F.4 PW; fi

$5335; flimz d ii ucfl M PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 825,075. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906. R. M. RUGK. SPEED INDICATOR FORMOTOR CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1905.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIIII IIII-Illl movable over said scale and UNITED srATEs PATENTQFFTQE.

RICHARD MATTHEWS BUCK, 0F LQNDUN, ENGLAND.

SPEED-INDICATOR FOR MOTOR-CARS AND QTHER VEHECLE$= Specification ofLetters Patent.

ame July a, race.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD MATTHEWS RUoK', brigadier-general, a subjectof the King of Great Britain, residing at 44 Thurloe Square, South,Kensington, London, W., En land, have-invented certain new and use fulInprovements in and Relating to' Speed- Indicators for Motor-Cars andother Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to s eed-indicators for vehicles, (more particulary motor-cars) and has for one of its main objects to provide, inconnection with the excess-speed indicator hereinafter described, meanswhereby to enable the speed at which the vehicle is at any momentrunning to be more readily ascertained than heretofore.

The excess-speed indicator above referred to comprises in its preferredform a clockdriven pointer mounted concentrically with and rotating inthe same direction as a cardriven index constituted by a series ofradial spokes or arms separated by equiangular interspaces, the speed ofthe car, which bears a constant rati to that of the s okes, bein ascertained by observation of t e rate atw 'ch said spokes move relativelyto the clockdriven pointer, whose velocity is constant and bears a knownratio to the statutory limit of s eed for the car. When this limit isexceede the spokes overtake or pass the pointer, with the result that anindication of the fact isgiven by means of a flap pivoted to turn aboutthe arm of the ointer' as an axis and adapted to be engaged ythe spokes.By contact with the latter the flap is made to incline in the one or theother direction, according as the pointer itself or the spokes has orhave the quicker motion, the reversal of the normal inclination of theflap being utilized for the purpose of exhibiting or transmitting awarning of the fact that the statutory or. any given limit of speed isexceeded.

According to my invention means are provided for facilitatingobservation of the speed of the spokes (or their e uivalent) relativelyto that of the ointer an for enabling the actual rate at w 'ch thevehicle is traveling to be read oii directly upon a scale in, say, milesper hour. For this purpose there is provided an auxiliary index, whichnormally rests at the zero-point of a fixed arcual scale mountedconcentrically with the clock-driven and cardriven indices, theauxiliary index bein eing furnishe Inthe accompanying drawings, whichillustrate a convenient form of the improved speed-indicator, Figure 1is a face view of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 ofFig.1. Fig. 3 is a face view, part1 in section and with portionsremoved; and Fig. 4 shows a detail drawn to a larger scale.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

A is the casing of an apparatus which is adapted to be fixed on thevehicle in a convenient position within si ht and reach of the driver,so as to be capab e of being manipulated at any moment as required. Thecasing contains clockwork mechanism, preferab y adapted to serve as atimepiece, whereof the hands I) b move over an ordinary clock-dial Babout an axis 7). The clockdriven index 0 consists of a pointer mountedto rotate about the axis 12 and geared to the clock in substantially thesame manner as a center seconds-hand, so as to perform its revolution ata constant speed bearing a convenient ratio to the statutory limit ofspeed for the car. The pointer 0 moves over a stationary dial D,surrounding the clock-dial B, concentrically at a distance outside ofand above the latter.

The car-driven index is constituted by an annular series ofradially-disposed teeth E, projecting from a circular band e, mounted torotate concentrically with the dial D, the teeth E being preferablypresented between the two The auxiliary index whereby the actual speedof the vehicle may .at any moment be directlyascertained consists of apointer G, carried by a band 9, which is mounted to turn friction-tightupon the casing A, concentrically with the. dial D, over which theointer G extends and relatively to which it is ada ted to be caused tomove at will as one with t e car-drivenindexE, the band 9 being,

however, allowed only a limited range of angular movement equal to, say,about oneuarter of the whole circle, as indicated. uch limitation may beeffected by any convenient arrangement of stop." For the purpose ofeffecting this movement of the pointer G concurrently with therevolution of the index E the band g is provided with anexternallyresented push-piece H on the end of a radial y -extending*plun er whose inner end h is adapted to engage with the worm-teeth),

- so' that on the push-piece being pressed inward by the finger inopposition to a spring i l the band g, and consequently the pointer G,

will be carried round along with the car-driven index E. The dial D,over which the pointer G is thus movable, is divided circumferentially,as at'y", 7' 3' &c.,into a number of equiangular main divisionssay four,as in the case illustratedof whichdivisions onesay thatfrom 7' to 7'iscoterminous with the limited range of travel permitted to the pointerG and is marked with a scale, as at J, graduatedto read, say, miles erhour, the graduations bein so proportioned to the speed ratio of t ecar-driven and clockdriven indices Efand C that the rate at which thevehicle is traveling will be represented by the position onthe scale Jreached by the auxiliary indexG in the time occupied by the clock-drivenpointer C in assing over any one main division of the dia Das, for exam-P f m 1" to r In order that the inner end it of the pushpiece H ma beautomatically thrown out of gear with t e worm-teeth asthe pointer Garrives at the end ,of its travel, so that neither the push-piece northe worm-teeth may be injured by the hand g overrunning the terminallimit of its movement, a laterally-projecting pin is, carried by thepushpiece plunger, may be arranged to encounter at the proper moment aninclined cam-surface K on the casing A, so that the pushpiece will thenbe lifted against the pressure from y" to j the pressure beingmaintained until and released only at the moment when the pointerCleaves said division, whereupon the auxiliary index G (which willmeanwhile have been carried along with the car-driven index E) will befound arrested at a point on its scale J .marked in accordance with thespeed of the vehicle. Hence this speed can be directly read off withoutcalculation, and

' as there is no necessity to watch the auxiliary index G during itstravel, but only the clockdriven pointerC, the operation is performedwith the greatest ease and without risk of error. 7 I

The flap L, which is pivoted to the clockdriven pointer C, may serve asa means of affording a direct visual indication as to whether thevehicle is running below, at, or

side of the flap being exposed. When, how- 7 ever, the speed of the carexceeds the said limit, the tooth following the flap L will over takethe latter and cause it to turn about its.

pivotal connection with the pointer C until its forward side Z, (seeFig. 4,) which may be colored red, is presented to view. On the otherhand, if the speed of. the. car should fall below the given limit theflap L wouldbe caused to overtake the next tooth of the index E inadvance, with the result that the oposite or rear side Z of the flap,which ma e colored white, would be turned upwar In cases where it is ofimportance to keep a motor-car running at the maximum permissible rateof speed the use of this means of constantly indicating the positive ornegative or neutral condition of the speed ratio is obviously of thegreatest utility.

I claim- 1. The combination'with a speed-indicator for motor-cars andother vehicles consisting essentially of clock-driven and car-drivenindices mounted concentrically with one another and rotated atvelocities which are respectively constant and proportional to the speedat which the vehicle is traveling, of an auxiliar index mountedconcentrically with said in ices and adapted to be temporarily engagedwith the car-driven index so as to be caused to move as one therewith,and scales over which the clock-driven and auxiliary indices are resectively movable, and which are so graduate that the amplitude of themovement performed by the auxiliary index while the clock-driven indexrotates through a predetermined angle will represent the speed at whichthe vehicle is traveling substantially as specified.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination withclock-driven and caredriven indices, of a flap pivoted to one of saidindices and normallylying in the path of the other in-' dex, and meansconnected with said lastnamed index for swin the fla to one side whenthe'speed of said mdices ecomes unequal whereby to indicate theinequality.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination withclock-driven and car-driven indices, of means connected with one of saidindices for indicating an inequality of speed in the. travel of saidindices.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination withclock-driven and car-driven indices, of a fla pivoted to one of saidindices and normally y1n in the path of the index, said flap being dierently colored upon the opposite sides thereof, and means connectedwith said last-named index for swin ing the flap to one side when thespeed of sai indices becomes unequal, whereby to indicate the inequalityRICHARD MATTHEWS RUCK.

